What's the best part of a carvery?

[Greenbeanmcgee]

I rarely eat roast dinners, perhaps 3x a year at most but I'm really craving a carvery now. I know it isn't really the weather for it but I'm craving one regardless.

What's the best part of a roast dinner/carvery for you?

I'm going to be controversial and say all the veg especially cauliflower cheese. I don't get the fuss over roast potatoes though.

Nothing! Absolutely awful, food that’s kept warm for ages.

The best part is being able to choose for yourself what's going on your plate

Roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese, stuffing.

I'm really not fussed about the meat.

@00100001 having looked up our local carvery on the basis of this thread I can confirm that Toby's do mac and cheese.

I can EAT but I don't think I could do pasta and all the other carbs!

Another one voting for all of the different veg!

The roasts are my favourite.

Our local carvery is so busy the food is never hanging around for long.

The exit!
Carveries are revolting. Gloopy gravy, frozen veg, reheated Yorkshire puddings. I make much better roasts at home.

That I can have 2 different types of meat (I'd have three but one always looks...disappointing (normally the beef).
I don't have to cook it or do the washing up.
All the veg - where I can have 3 carrots, a tree of broccoli, peas, 2 brussels etc. without having a mountain of veg on my plate because I've cooked too much.
With the exception of a very good independent pub one, a carvery is nice...but not really outstanding...

I suppose the best thing about a carvery is everything is nicely done....not necessarily outstanding, but unlikely to be BAD, whereas at home, there is always a chance of roasties (or the crackling) failing to crisp, yorkies failing to rise, or under/over done veg, or no-one made stuffing etc.

I make a Sunday roast at least 2 times a month, often every Sunday if no plans.

I can't choose between Yorkshire puds or roast potatoes, as PP said homemade of course. I think homemade gravy is a close second. I honestly don't rate many of the carveries (in my area at least) and would choose my own over any of them.

Yorkshire puddings if they’re properly home made.
parsnips.
beef if it’s pink, with horseradish sauce.

Crackling, Yorkshire Puddings, Stuffing, Apple Sauce, Creamed Leeks and Peas, Red Cabbage and Broccoli Cheese. And some meat. Not fussed about roast potatoes though.

This! I have never been to a carvery that was anything other than mediocre at best, they're far too reminiscent of school Christmas dinners for me. Even the ones that everyone raves about that have great reviews just seem very blah and bland.

The best thing about a carvery is that I don't have to do the cooking or the clearing up. The food itself isn't ever as good as a homemade roast dinner.

stuffing and yorkshires. Smothered in gravy

Carveries are awful in my experience. Last time I went to one with family I opted for something completely different from the menu as i couldn't face soggy potatoes, limp veg and rubbery meat. Even the country gastropub near our previous house which had a reputation for delicious roasts wasn't that great imho, although the meats themselves were very good.

I much prefer our homemade roasts and wouldn't ever choose to eat at a carvery again. We cook a roast virtually every week. After struggling to cook perfect roast potatoes I cracked it about 15 years ago. We're not fans of cauliflower cheese with roast dinners - although love it with fish - but otherwise any home-cooked veg (particularly sprouts!) will do. Roast meat-wise I like them all but currently my favourite is pork having recently succeeded in cooking perfect crackling, again after years of failures!

White sauce a la Des Bishop

Brewery’s fayre and Toby.

I think it’s weird too

It's the combination that makes it good, individually all is better home cooked but you don't cook 6 veggies do you!

Stuffing.

All the vegetables and the meat. Never the yorkshires which just fill the plate up. Love a good carvery

The carbs - potatoes, Yorkshire puds, stuffing.

£140 for 4?? Where on earth are you going for your carvery?! It's 12.99 each here!

Funny,poster asks what is our favourite part of a carvery,and people start posting how they have roast dinner every Sunday,that's not relevant. I don't eat red meat,DHs favourite is lamb. It's so expensive,he has it high days and holidays when we have family round. For us,it's the fact you can put exactly what you want on the plate. The average restaurant meal is way too much for us. I hate waste. I love veggies,he hates them.. we go to a carvery a couple of villages away from where we live,took the DGKs last week.

The meat and the gravy.
I would just pile my plate up with meat and pour gravy all over it if I could.

I've only been to one and struggle to see the appeal. Maybe the one I went to was just rubbish, but if the choice was carvery or just go home for a sandwich, I'd opt for the sandwich.